Inspector calls- Mrs Sybil Birling

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Personality

Role

  • She is described at the start as "about fifty, a rather cold woman and her husband's social superior."
  • She is a snob, very aware of the differences between social classes.
  • She tries to deny things that she doesn't want to believe: Eric's drinking, Gerald's affair with Eva, and the fact that a working class girl would refuse money even if it was stolen, claiming "She was giving herself ridiculous airs."
  • Mrs Birling is perceived as a very stubborn character making it harder for the Inspector to get information from her, as she tries very hard to stand her ground (although she does eventually confess.)
  • She represents how prejudice people are able to be, and how stubbornness is likely to get you anywhere, especially if you have something to hide.

Development (Growth & change)

Other information              

  • She admits she was "prejudiced" against the girl who applied to her committee for help and saw it as her "duty" to refuse to help her.
  • At the end of the play, she has had to come to terms that her son is a heavy drinker who got a girl pregnant and stole money to support her.
  • She is the mother of Eric and Sheila Birling and the wife of Mr Arthur Birling.
  • Both her and Shelia are considerer less important to the situation, in Mr Birling eyes, as he believes females should be protected from these kind of circumstances.

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